Head-rest for beds.



J. G. RYAN. HEAD REST FOR BEDS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11, 1910.

s. E. l VE'NT 1:11=L

Jul-IN JG. RYAN.

pairs stares. earner orrrcn J OT-IN G. RYAN, OF MONTREAL,QUEBEC,"CA1\TALDA.

HEAD-REST 110R BEnsQ To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, JOHN G. RYAN, of the city of Montreal, Province ofQuebec, Canada, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements inHead-Rests for Beds, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to a head rest attachment designed to be securedto beds, lounges, or the like, and comprises an adjustable rest adaptedto support the head and shoulders of an occupant of the bed.

The main object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensivedevice that can be operated with great ease and rapidity; that can beadjusted to any desired po-' sition, and that will automatically lockitself at any angle within 90.

In the drawings which illustrate my invention ;and in which similarnumerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout :F igure 1 is aperspective view of a bed showing the head rest attached thereto inoperative position. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of theoperating mechanism. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 6-7 of Fig.2. Fig. 1 is a sectional detail view of the arm tip and roller device.Fig. 5 is an elevation of a slightly modified form of construction.

Referring to the parts, 8 designates the head frame of the bed, and 9the side rails. The operating mechanism for the head rest is secured tobrackets 10 which are fastened to the side rails by means of anysuitable clamps 11. The operating mechanism on each side is connected bya square shaft 12, which is preferably made in two parts connected by acoupling 13 into which the ends of the two part shaft 12 are inserted,said coupling being provided with set screws whereby the shaft may beadjusted to suit the width of any bed. Near the ends of the shafts onthe inner side of the brackets 10, I provide collars 14, and immediatelyoutside of the brackets I provide similar collars 15. One of thesecollars is provided with a ournal or bearing 16, which extendsSpecification of Letters Patent. PatentedJan, 1'7, 1911,

Application filed July 11, 1910. Serial 110. 571,304.

operating handles 19, by means of which they may be turned to rotate theshaft.

Levers20, connecting the head rest proper with the operatinginecha'nislnn'a're provided, said leversbeing pivoted to the brackets 10by any suitable pivots 21. The lower ends of said levers are preferablybent at'an an- 'gle, as indicated in Fig; 2, and the extremities areprovided with suitable rollers 22, said rollersengaging in thespiral'slots 18 of the disks and being movable freely therein. Theopposite ends of the levers are looped as indicated at 23 to form asocket adapted to hold the foot members 25 of the side rails 24; of thehead rest. These foot members 25 are bent downwardly, as indicated, andthe longitudinal side'members 24: are again bent at right angles at thetop, to form the head rail 26 of the head rest. This head rest ispreferably constructed of tubing and is madein two parts, said'partsbeing connected by a coupling 27' similar to thereupling 13, by means ofwhich the ends of the head rail 26 may be adjusted to the width of thebed. The foot members may also be adjusted within the sockets 23 bymeans of the set screws 28. The side members 2d may be connected by oneor more canvas strips 29 adapted to hold the mattress.

At the rear of the brackets 10, I provide a second set of brackets 30fixed to the side rails of the bed by means of the clamps 31. Thesebrackets 30 are provided with out wardly extending feet 32' adapted tohold the compression springs 33. The bottom of each spring 33 rests onthe feet 32 and is connected at the top to the lever arms 20. Thesesprings are preferably telescoping, conical compression members of awell known type.

In the alternative form of device shown in Fig. 5, the operatingmechanism is exactly the same as above described except that I provide aspring arm 3a secured to the ends of the levers 20and bent outwardly asindicated in dotted lines to avoid the axle of the disks. This springarm 34 is provided with a foot 35 to which is attached a helical tensionspring 36, fastened at the front end to the bracket 30.

In operation either one or both of the disks 17 are turned by means ofthe handles 19, the rollers 22 sliding freely in the spiral slots 18.These rollers, which are secured to the ends of the lever arms 20, willthus carry said lever arms toward or away from the center of the disks,thus lowering or raising the head rest as desired. The direction ofpressure between the rollers 22 and the spiral slots will always beradial, that is, away from the center of the disks, and the frictionalengagement between the rollers and the sides of the slots will besuflicient, when any pressure is placed on the head rest, toautomatically lock or hold the head rest in such position. The springs33 or 36, whichever may be used, will assist in raising the head restand similarly will tend to resist the tendency of the head rest to dropwhen any weight is placed upon it.

It will be obvious that the operating mechanism may be used on eitherone or both sides of the bed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. A head rest forbeds comprising a U- shaped frame, means for laterally adjusting saidframe, brackets secured to the side rails of the bed, a laterallyadjustable polygonal shaft, adjustable collarsthereon journaling theshaft in said brackets, spirally slotted disks fixed to the ends of saidshaft, pivoted lever arms mounted on said brackets means for adj ustablysecuring one end of each lever arm to the extremities of said U-shapedframe, frictional rollers secured to the opposite ends of said leverarms and adapted to engage the slots in said disks, means for rotatingsaid disks to raise or lower the head rest, and springs secured to saidlever arms 3 for holding the head rest in elevated position.

2. A head rest for beds and the like comprising a U-shaped frame, meansfor laterally adjusting said frame, brackets secured 4 to the side railsof the bed, a polygonal shaft, adjustable collars adjacent the ends ofsaid shaft journaling the same in said brack ets, spirally slotted disksrigidly mounted on the ends of said shaft, means for adjusting 45 thelength of said shaft, pivotally mounted lever arms adjustably secured atone end to the U-shaped frame, friction rollers mounted on the oppositeends of said levers and adapted to engage in the slots in said disks,han- 5 dles for rotating said disks to raise or lower the head rest, asecond pair of brackets secured to the side rails of the bed, andcompression springs secured to said lever arms at one end and to saidsecond brackets at the opposite end, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN G. RYAN. \Vitnesses:

ROBERT VAN SANDS,

V. S. ODENKIRK.

